Melisse exceeded expectations and was more than deserving of its 2 Michelin stars. The service was excellent, thoughtful, and exceptionally gracious. There was a clear passion by the waitstaff and the intimacy of the experience was exceptional. I was very impressed by our server, Vayou, who had an encyclopedic knowledge of the wine being served. The food was also exceptional, with many dishes being so good you wanted more. If anything, that was my only real wish. But isn't that always the case with fine dining? I honestly think Melisse would have its third star if it had a better space to work from. It's not to say the small, wonderfully intimate dining room is deficient in any way. But it lacks the beauty and ambiance of The French Laundry (even if does meet or exceed its culinary quality). I highly recommend Melisse to anyone who appreciates fine dining and experiencing Michelin-rated restaurants. If you know what to expect and appreciate such things, you will love it.
NarineS
Celebrated my 50tyh birthday and it was amazing. Exactly what anyone would expect at a Michelin restaurant. The food was outstanding. The service was great. The ambiance was warm and special. They only sit a max of 14 and it was very private.
Scott P
We were just here on Father’s Day and the food and service was incredible. We had a large group so we ordered a lot of different things and I can’t say anyone was disappointed. Instead of listing everything we ordered, the highlights for us were lobster bolognese and the dover sole. We tried most of the deserts and again everything was great. The only thing I can’t speak too is the cocktails/wine as none of us were drinking that night. Two things to be aware of. 1. This is a high end restaurant, so don’t get sticker shock about the price tag. 2. For the most part save a few items (chicken, rib eye, Dover sole, white asparagus ) the serving sizes are pretty small. I would come here again in a heart beat, and would definitely recommend it.
robmG9613LC
Booked a 3:30 table for Thanksgiving. Arrived promptly and before we were even given menus a gentleman approached our table and said, "I am reminding you that you have 90 minutes at this table. It went downhill from there. For a restaurant owned by a two star Michelin chef, we received negative star service. My Mom was disappointed that she was not offered a black napkin despite her wearing black pants. Our server seemed in a hurry to get our order. She never offered us drinks, no wine list, no cocktail list. They have a full bar but after taking our drink order returned to say, "We don't make Bloody Marys." Had to ask for a wine list as one was not offered despite my saying we would like wine with dinner. My $18 glass of wine was a thimble poor at the discretion of the server (no portion control) and hardly 3 oz. Runners brought the food, dropped it and left. They placed the incorrect items at each place and had to be told who ordered what. Two of our entrees had to be sent back - and only after a long wait for someone to come over and ask if everything is OK. My mom's turkey appeared to have been sliced on a Deli meat slicer and was all uniform pieces that must have been waiting pre-plated under a heat lamp. The top piece was so dessicated that it could not be cut. My prime rib was more than 50% fat, terribly undercooked despite my specifyling a temperature preference and was inedible. That meant my wife either had to consume her meal and wait for us to eat ours, or wait until we received replacements and let her food get cold. Completely unacceptable options for fine dining. All three plates should have been removed and re-served together. Dessert was included in the $125 per person charge but we had to pay $21 additional for coffee which came much later than the desserts. Our meal was almost $600 including a non-disclosed compulsory 20% "service charge (meaning we had to pay sales tax on the service charge which was $85) and then they asked for an additional tip. We felt ripped off. My phone call and emails to three people at the restaurant have not been answered. To add insult to injury, when we got home, at 10:30 that night I received an email saying that we were going to be charged a "cancellation fee" because we did not cancel our reservation and were "no-shows." I replied to the email with our table and check number and also the name of our server saying that we had indeed eaten there and honored our reservation. This morning a $375 charge appeared on my credit card.
robert l
Had expected great food and service since it is affiliated with Melisse.Wrong on both counts .Service and food uninspired, most having been pre made. Staff going through the motions . This type of meal wants you to find restaurants where the food, staff and experience are inspired . This meal will give you a terrible memory, especially when you have to think where you could have eaten!
Jeremy Gonzalez
Josiah has done it again with his seasonal menu, he states his inspiration was drawn from his life experiences and his past. A beautiful experience that should be shared intimately. It’s best to do the tasting menu and experience everything he has for you.
C4367RBmichellep
Great atmosphere and wonderful dinner in an unassuming part of Santa Monica. Converted back part of the restaurant with lights and plants brings a magical atmosphere to an great menu.
Lorriane Porsha
Since it was pet-friendly, it was the best restaurant of all time! Our irritated children will enjoy having dinner with us here as well. Breakfast and lunch are both prepared with nutritious and appetizing meals. The setting was light and airy. I enjoy dining under the leaves and feeling the breeze. This is the ideal restaurant for dog lovers!
Laura Hartney
Very limited seating means high levels of guest attention. The food is very good and has interesting Japanese influences scattered through the menu. I especially loved the “lobster toast” with furikake; and the broth with the mackerel was simply divine. I was a bit disappointed with the use of the truffle “supplemental” cost; the truffle didn’t taste truly fresh and didn’t seem to really complement the dishes it was added to. But I would definitely return for more interesting dishes.
Sydney Gonzalez
I was lucky enough to try Melisse during dineLA in March and throughly enjoyed my experience. A friend and I went and from the start they were so covid conscious- people were very well socially distanced and they still managed to make the outdoor setting look beautiful! You could tell they put in the extra effort to keep an upscale feeling.We both tried the egg caviar to start which was delicious. I know this is a popular trendy dish at a fair amount of upscale restaurants (RIP trois Mec ?) but they executed it well. For the secondary we tried the lobster bolognese which was plentiful with lobster and the crispy black bass was light and delicious. We tried both the duo beef and duck- both delicious but the steak was phenomenal! The short rib melted in your mouth. We ended with both desserts which were beautifully presented but honestly the house made truffles they served with it stole the show.Our waiters were nice but sort of slammed so the service was slow but they were doing great with what they had to work with. I would highly recommend this for a fancy date night or DineLA if you want to treat yourself for a lil less.
Great service. Nice relaxing casual situation. Good music. Food tries hard and has nice attention to detail but maybe falls a little short of 5 stars for the price…. Or maybe I’m just spoiled.
Jessie Naccarato
The best to eat some delicious food! It was my first time to visit your restaurant and I was very satisfied with the service that these guys provided.
Ftang Smith
Fantastic food and even better service! The manager Chloe went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed during our visit. Will definitely be visiting again the next time we are in Cali!
David Cho
First time here and I’m a fan. Thanks to Dine LA was able to try a few items dishes and loved them all. The duck was my favorite, but then, it was all good. Service was incredible as well and the setting very beautiful as they made up their parking lot into a permanent looking patio. Not at all like the ubiquitous tents you see across town. They did it up right and would love to see them keep the patio around after Covid.Wish I could remember all of the dishes, but we enjoyed the wine pairing and cocktails a little too much :)
Christian Garris
An interesting blend of the formality or Melisse and the creativity of Citrin. The outdoor space they have created is charming, and the personality of Josiah Citrin comes through again and again. The food is great, and although expensive, still is a great value.
Melisse exceeded expectations and was more than deserving of its 2 Michelin stars. The service was excellent, thoughtful, and exceptionally gracious. There was a clear passion by the waitstaff and the intimacy of the experience was exceptional. I was very impressed by our server, Vayou, who had an encyclopedic knowledge of the wine being served. The food was also exceptional, with many dishes being so good you wanted more. If anything, that was my only real wish. But isn't that always the case with fine dining? I honestly think Melisse would have its third star if it had a better space to work from. It's not to say the small, wonderfully intimate dining room is deficient in any way. But it lacks the beauty and ambiance of The French Laundry (even if does meet or exceed its culinary quality). I highly recommend Melisse to anyone who appreciates fine dining and experiencing Michelin-rated restaurants. If you know what to expect and appreciate such things, you will love it.
Celebrated my 50tyh birthday and it was amazing. Exactly what anyone would expect at a Michelin restaurant. The food was outstanding. The service was great. The ambiance was warm and special. They only sit a max of 14 and it was very private.
We were just here on Father’s Day and the food and service was incredible. We had a large group so we ordered a lot of different things and I can’t say anyone was disappointed. Instead of listing everything we ordered, the highlights for us were lobster bolognese and the dover sole. We tried most of the deserts and again everything was great. The only thing I can’t speak too is the cocktails/wine as none of us were drinking that night. Two things to be aware of. 1. This is a high end restaurant, so don’t get sticker shock about the price tag. 2. For the most part save a few items (chicken, rib eye, Dover sole, white asparagus ) the serving sizes are pretty small. I would come here again in a heart beat, and would definitely recommend it.
Booked a 3:30 table for Thanksgiving. Arrived promptly and before we were even given menus a gentleman approached our table and said, "I am reminding you that you have 90 minutes at this table. It went downhill from there. For a restaurant owned by a two star Michelin chef, we received negative star service. My Mom was disappointed that she was not offered a black napkin despite her wearing black pants. Our server seemed in a hurry to get our order. She never offered us drinks, no wine list, no cocktail list. They have a full bar but after taking our drink order returned to say, "We don't make Bloody Marys." Had to ask for a wine list as one was not offered despite my saying we would like wine with dinner. My $18 glass of wine was a thimble poor at the discretion of the server (no portion control) and hardly 3 oz. Runners brought the food, dropped it and left. They placed the incorrect items at each place and had to be told who ordered what. Two of our entrees had to be sent back - and only after a long wait for someone to come over and ask if everything is OK. My mom's turkey appeared to have been sliced on a Deli meat slicer and was all uniform pieces that must have been waiting pre-plated under a heat lamp. The top piece was so dessicated that it could not be cut. My prime rib was more than 50% fat, terribly undercooked despite my specifyling a temperature preference and was inedible. That meant my wife either had to consume her meal and wait for us to eat ours, or wait until we received replacements and let her food get cold. Completely unacceptable options for fine dining. All three plates should have been removed and re-served together. Dessert was included in the $125 per person charge but we had to pay $21 additional for coffee which came much later than the desserts. Our meal was almost $600 including a non-disclosed compulsory 20% "service charge (meaning we had to pay sales tax on the service charge which was $85) and then they asked for an additional tip. We felt ripped off. My phone call and emails to three people at the restaurant have not been answered. To add insult to injury, when we got home, at 10:30 that night I received an email saying that we were going to be charged a "cancellation fee" because we did not cancel our reservation and were "no-shows." I replied to the email with our table and check number and also the name of our server saying that we had indeed eaten there and honored our reservation. This morning a $375 charge appeared on my credit card.
Had expected great food and service since it is affiliated with Melisse.Wrong on both counts .Service and food uninspired, most having been pre made. Staff going through the motions . This type of meal wants you to find restaurants where the food, staff and experience are inspired . This meal will give you a terrible memory, especially when you have to think where you could have eaten!
Josiah has done it again with his seasonal menu, he states his inspiration was drawn from his life experiences and his past. A beautiful experience that should be shared intimately. It’s best to do the tasting menu and experience everything he has for you.
Great atmosphere and wonderful dinner in an unassuming part of Santa Monica. Converted back part of the restaurant with lights and plants brings a magical atmosphere to an great menu.
Since it was pet-friendly, it was the best restaurant of all time! Our irritated children will enjoy having dinner with us here as well. Breakfast and lunch are both prepared with nutritious and appetizing meals. The setting was light and airy. I enjoy dining under the leaves and feeling the breeze. This is the ideal restaurant for dog lovers!
Very limited seating means high levels of guest attention. The food is very good and has interesting Japanese influences scattered through the menu. I especially loved the “lobster toast” with furikake; and the broth with the mackerel was simply divine. I was a bit disappointed with the use of the truffle “supplemental” cost; the truffle didn’t taste truly fresh and didn’t seem to really complement the dishes it was added to. But I would definitely return for more interesting dishes.
I was lucky enough to try Melisse during dineLA in March and throughly enjoyed my experience. A friend and I went and from the start they were so covid conscious- people were very well socially distanced and they still managed to make the outdoor setting look beautiful! You could tell they put in the extra effort to keep an upscale feeling.We both tried the egg caviar to start which was delicious. I know this is a popular trendy dish at a fair amount of upscale restaurants (RIP trois Mec ?) but they executed it well. For the secondary we tried the lobster bolognese which was plentiful with lobster and the crispy black bass was light and delicious. We tried both the duo beef and duck- both delicious but the steak was phenomenal! The short rib melted in your mouth. We ended with both desserts which were beautifully presented but honestly the house made truffles they served with it stole the show.Our waiters were nice but sort of slammed so the service was slow but they were doing great with what they had to work with. I would highly recommend this for a fancy date night or DineLA if you want to treat yourself for a lil less.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great service. Nice relaxing casual situation. Good music. Food tries hard and has nice attention to detail but maybe falls a little short of 5 stars for the price…. Or maybe I’m just spoiled.
The best to eat some delicious food! It was my first time to visit your restaurant and I was very satisfied with the service that these guys provided.
Fantastic food and even better service! The manager Chloe went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed during our visit. Will definitely be visiting again the next time we are in Cali!
First time here and I’m a fan. Thanks to Dine LA was able to try a few items dishes and loved them all. The duck was my favorite, but then, it was all good. Service was incredible as well and the setting very beautiful as they made up their parking lot into a permanent looking patio. Not at all like the ubiquitous tents you see across town. They did it up right and would love to see them keep the patio around after Covid.Wish I could remember all of the dishes, but we enjoyed the wine pairing and cocktails a little too much :)
An interesting blend of the formality or Melisse and the creativity of Citrin. The outdoor space they have created is charming, and the personality of Josiah Citrin comes through again and again. The food is great, and although expensive, still is a great value.